Abstract
Puberty, as defined by vaginal opening, ovulation and the initiation of estrous cycles, has been advanced more than a week in the immature female rat by treatment with low, approximately physiological dosages of estrogen (estradiol benzoate, 0.05 μg/100 g body wt/day). These results were achieved either by short-term treatment with estrogen starting at 26 days of age or by withdrawal of estrogen after vaginal opening at 30 days of age following long-term treatment from day 5. To study the dynamics of gonadotrophin secretion under natural and precocious pubertal conditions, both pituitary and plasma LH levels were measured by the ovarian ascorbic acid depletion method. In early puberty induced by estradiol benzoate, as in natural puberty 7-9 days later, there was a sharp drop in pituitary LH coincident with an equally marked rise in plasma LH, confirming the release of the pituitary trophin into the blood. In the rat ovariectomized at 26 days and treated with estrogen for 4 days the pituitary LH remained e...
Published Version
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